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heartschoicegames · 5 years

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Heart’s Choice Author Interview: Melissa Scott, “A Player’s Heart”

Find love, fame, and intrigue on the stage of the city's all-woman Opera! Put on a show, survive drama on and off-stage...and win your lover's heart. A Player's Heart is a 222,000-word interactive lesbian romance novel by Melissa Scott. I sat down with Melissa to talk about her upcoming game, and the vicissitudes of romance writing. A Player's Heart releases this Thursday, February 13th for Heart's Choice. This is your first piece of interactive fiction, but not, I think, your first romance novel. Tell me a little about your other work. This is indeed my first piece of interactive fiction, but in my other life I'm mostly known as a writer of science fiction and fantasy. I have written two fantasy mystery series with strong romantic elements—the Points series (Point of Hopes, Point of Knives, Point of Dreams, Fairs' Point, and Point of Sighs), which I began with my late partner Lisa A. Barnett and continued after her death; and the Mathey and Lynes novels (Death By Silver and A Death at the Dionysus Club), which I wrote with another Choice of Games author, Amy Griswold. The Points novels are set in the city of Astreiant, where astrology is a complex and important science, and center on the professional and personal relationship of pointsman (a kind of police officer) Nicolas Rathe and ex-mercenary turned guardsman Philip Eslingen. Each novel is a stand-alone mystery, but the development of the relationship is a major part of the ongoing story. The Mathey and Lynes novels are set in an Edwardian London in which metaphysics — magic — is a respectable profession akin to law or medicine. Metaphysician Edward Mathey has just purchased his first practice and rekindled his connection with a former schoolmate, Julian Lynes, a would-be consulting detective, when they are thrust into dealing with a series of mysterious deaths that risk outing their forbidden relationship. My most recent novel, Finders, is far-future space opera about a trio of salvage operators who stumble into a discovery that may destroy their civilization. Beyond those, I've written more than 30 science fiction and fantasy novels, most of them featuring queer themes and characters. I've won the Lambda Literary Award in SF/F four times (and been nominated four more times), and have won the Spectrum Award three times. I've written everything from near-future cyberpunk to far-future adventure to space opera in which the "science" is based on neo-Platonic magic, and the starships harness the music of the spheres to travel between solar systems. I've also written tie-in materials for Star Trek: Deep Space 9, Star Trek: Voyager, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Star Wars Rebels - and one more that I'm not allowed to talk about yet! What did you find most challenging about the process? Writing a branching narrative, editing it, or handling the code? Technically? Handling the code, hands down. That's not something I'd ever done before, and, while mercifully ChoiceScript is more language-like than mathematical, I still feel as though I'm "speaking" it at a kindergarten level. On a conceptual level, though, the most difficult — and most rewarding —part of the process was learning to leave enough space at the center of the story for players to create their own character and experiences. The whole point of novel-length fiction is to put readers into characters' heads, to show the world through that characters' experiences, but that's the exact opposite of what interactive fiction does. The writer doesn't dictate the interpretation; you can only suggest and steer, and let the players make their own story happen. It was a hard leap to make at first, but once I'd gotten there, it was really fun to tell a story that way. In some ways, it suits my natural style — I prefer to create character indirectly, and allow readers to draw their own inferences — but it's conceptually a very different kind of story-telling. This is the first lesbian romance we're releasing for Heart's Choice and we would have loved to have it ready for the initial launch, because having a romance game for everyone is really the whole idea. Are you primarily writing for a lesbian audience in your other work? I was sorry it wasn't ready for the initial launch, too. I wouldn't say that my work is written for a lesbian audience—I want as wide an audience as I can get—but it is all definitely written from a lesbian perspective. I mean, it really can't not be! It's a huge part of who I am. But I've been an out lesbian writer since the 1980s, and that perspective has meant different things and received very different reactions over those decades. It's a lot less fraught than it was when I started, that's for sure! And of course some of my stories are addressing issues that are most directly relevant to and subject to debate by a queer audience—the Mathey and Lynes novels, for example, are partly about creating and maintaining queer community—but I also hope they'll be accessible to a non-queer audience as well. Tell me a little about the fictional world of A Player's Heart. A Player's Heart takes place in Tristendesande, the rich, sophisticated mercantile city at the mouth of the great river that runs the length of the country. Everyone and everything of importance eventually comes downriver to Tristendesande, or so its inhabitants will tell you; they have nothing but disdain for the people of the rival industrial city of Castago, at the river's headwaters. But Castago's power is in the ascendant, and Tristendesande is ruled by a foreign-born regent in the name of her toddler son. Even if its power is waning, however, Tristendesande is a beautiful city — imagine fin-de-siecle Paris or Vienna, carved stone facades and gilding and gaslight. It's a center of the arts, and at the center of that artistic world are the Theater, where all the roles are played by men, and the Opera, where all the roles are played by women. Devas play female roles, dragons play male roles, and the artifices are responsible for special effects, costumes, and all the other technical pieces. The Opera's shows are generally bright and frothy, full of song and dance and sparklingly witty dialogue, but often there's serious point hidden among the frolics. Of course there are also cabarets and other venues, led by the upstart Electricity Theater, where — scandalously! — men and women perform together, on the same stage and in the same skits. Did you have a character you most enjoyed writing and spending time with? I think the most fun was creating four love interests. They're very different women — the best friend, the sparkling rival, the powerful society hostess, the scandalous lead of the rival Electricity Theater — and there had to be good reasons for someone to fall in love with each of them. However, it did create a certain amount of mental whiplash. Just when I'd gotten really comfortable with one of them, and knew exactly why she was wonderful, I'd have to switch to one of the others — and convince myself the she was the perfect lover! The other "character" that I loved was the Opera itself. I really enjoyed creating that social world. from the semi-retired Elders who manage the company and decide on the performances to the students who take walk-ons as they work toward joining the Opera proper.

What are you working on now? I can't yet talk about the project that's currently eating my life (I hope to be able to say more by the end of the month), but beyond that I've just completed a fantasy novel, Water Horse, about the queer king of a beleaguered kingdom fighting to twist free of the prophecies that threaten his people. Next up is Fallen, a sequel to Finders, about a weaver of webs for forbidden AI who has to chose between saving her lovers or seeing her people fall into the Long Dark.

#heartschoice #choiceofgames #romancenovel #interactive fiction #choice of games #hearts choice

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nezzfiction · 5 years

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ENMY Chapter 88 - Operation Gun Dog

Chapter Synopsis: The Kingdom of Vacuo is about to enter its most daunting challenge, since the Third Crusade. Salem has personally come to see the end of some of Remnant’s greatest warriors, including Team ENMY. Assistance from Atlas is on its way, but will the Fleet arrive in time to make a difference?

Only one thing is certain. Whatever happens in Vacuo will echo the things to come for the rest of Remnant.

Series Synopsis: Team RWBY is disbanded, and Yang must find herself new allies. For her, that might very well be yesterday’s enemies. Joining up with the likes of Emerald, Mercury, and Neo, the four will comprise Team Enemy(ENMY).

Links to read the series: Ao3 or FF.net

Or hit the jump below

Narrated by Yang

Previously on ENMY…

After watching from the sidelines long enough, Salem decides to bring the fight to Vacuo personally.

One of the dirtier plays she makes against the Kingdom, is sending a parasitic-type of shapeshifting Grimm into the city called Cuckoos.

While the Kingdom has its hands full with dealing with the infestation problem, Salem builds her army and chips away at the Kingdom’s forces.

With an alliance formed between Vacuo and Atlas, an Atlesian Fleet is enroute to provide Vacuo with aid.

The problem is whether it will get here in time, or be enough to make a difference.

This leads Weiss and Cinder to asking Qrow for help, or more importantly, the immortal called Titan.

Meanwhile, Temujin comes up with a brilliant idea to exterminate the Cuckoos once and for all, and get this war with Salem back on track.

To do that, her Khans give Team ENMY the training session of a lifetime.

Whether we’re actually ready or not, we’ll find out soon enough.

It’s time for the war between Vacuo and Salem to continue…

As Team ENMY takes part in Operation Gun Dog!

Operation Gun Dog

Gun Dog: n.- types of hunting dogs trained and developed to assist hunters in finding and retrieving wild game, usually birds.

The sun was a couple hours from cresting the horizon, yet shades of purple were already trailing into the dark canvas above. The morning would arrive early—immeasurably so.

As if Remnant itself knew the day would be a long one, a pivotal moment that would determine the world’s very Destiny.

…

On the eastern shores of Vacuo, Temujin pensively overlooked her brother’s grave. A stone polished endlessly by seawater. A white tooth which sprouted from the sands of Vacuo’s beach.

“I wonder what words you would have for me now, brother? How disappointed I’m sure you would be.”

The old woman felt a sharp wind blow sand into the cracks of her face.

“I knew my ways wouldn’t last forever. Our people are learning that, too. It won’t always be the strongest who survive Vacuo. Which only begs the question, who will? Will anyone?” she sighed. “Whatever the answer, I’m no longer fit to see it.”

The constant sounds of waves breaking on the shore soothed the jagged corners of her heart, if only a little.

“Then again, what is the thing called, strength?” Temujin scratched one of her frayed ears. “Peh! What’s the point in getting philosophical now? Why did I even bother coming here? It’s not like I’m asking your permission!”

The old woman turned, and began the trek back to the city.

“Hmph. To make sure my people live to see a world better than the one I forged—”

“What is one more sin, anyway?”

X X X X X

At the mouth of a cave, staring through the waterfall, Inna Kao looked to the horizon.

In her hand, was a steel chain with three dog tags hanging from it. She shifted through each one, like a pious one did their prayer beads. The names of her late teammates cycled her fingers and formed silently on her lips.

“Ferret.”

“Remington.”

“Earp.”

Their deaths were anything but remarkable. They were three among the countless who lost their lives in this War. As a soldier, Inna knew it was only the way of things. It was inevitability, it was their occupation.

“Ferret. Remington. Earp.”

But it didn’t stop her from wanting to give them meaning. To give reason to their sacrifices. Out of the members of FIRE Team, Inna was its only survivor. She decided it was on her to accomplish what her teammates could no longer not.

And if the war’s end was brought sooner with Vacuo’s destruction…

“For the fallen…” she whispered.

Inna snapped her rifle to her shoulder, and aimed Raven down her sights.

“Good reaction,” the woman greeted coolly.

“Mornin’. Done conferrin’ with the enemy?”

“You do know the enemy is a matter of perspective? Unless, we’re talking about Team ENMY, in which case, it is their namesake.”

“…”

*Sigh*

Raven rounded her way to the other side of the cave’s mouth, and sat across from Inna.

“You and Bean are too smart not to see what’s waiting at the end of this.”

“I see Vacuo fallin’, and Atlas next.”

“So, you haven’t had a change of mind after meeting the illustrious puppeteer behind it all?”

“Salem gives me the creeps, that’s for damn sure. But she won’t be the end of the world. If anyone will, it’s gonna be Bean, and I won’t let him go that far.”

“If you only knew,” Raven sighed again.

“I’m sorry we’re comin’ after Yang, if it makes any difference. Condolences and what not.”

“Inna, you’re the one I’m going to feel sorry for, if you two actually meet.”

“That right?” Inna set her rifle to the side. “So, what are ya goin’ be doin’ when the battle finally breaks out? You can’t fight your home, but you can’t fight Salem neither.”

“I guess, all I can really do is sit back and watch.”

“Even if I take my shot at Temujin, too?”

“No direct interference with the Witch. Those are the rules.”

Inna couldn’t help but turn a skeptic look at that, but the woman only remained passive.

“I heard from Adam back in Mistral, you tried to kill Yang and her team.”

“Different circumstances.”

“And you tried again in Atlas.”

“Again, different circumstances.”

“…”

“The wording’s very strict on my contract. Me not being forced to fight Vacuo is one of them.”

“Team ENMY isn’t from Vacuo.”

“The moment Temujin put them under her protection, they were under Vacuo’s protection. To be honest, I didn’t know that loophole existed either.”

Inna breathed a small chuckle, then her demeanor hardened.

“But if Vacuo falls…”

“If that were to somehow happen, I’m sure Yang’s strong enough now she won’t be killed so easily by me.”

“You give a whole new meaning to the term ‘tiger mom’, you know that?”

“So, I’ve been told.”

Raven got up, and began moving into the cave. She stopped to glance back.

“I’ve had my share of fighting the wrong battles for the right reasons, Inna. I fought my own team, whole Kingdoms, practically made enemies of all the wrong people. And I lost a lot of good friends along the way.”

“…So?”

Raven’s expression became conflicted.

“You have an obligation to let them go, Inna. Trying to make a world that should have been with them in it isn’t an honor—it’s an insult. Don’t shame them by trying to make them stay. Death is a part of who they are now, and you can’t change the memory of your teammates. Took a long time for me to learn that.”

“……Does that preachy horseshit work on everyone, or am I the sole exception?

“No, it never works. But I tried.” Raven showed a sympathetic smile of sadness. “Maybe, I just like acting out a history that keeps repeating itself.”

“…”

“My Mentor once said the same thing to my team. I think my brother and I ended up more or less like him, if not worse. The question is, do you really wanna end up like me? Do you want that for Bean?”

“…”

“That’s a question you ask yourself. Or maybe, some things you can’t learn until it’s too late… Or maybe, you think about it.”

The woman turned to walk away, and Inna heard one more sentence echo back to her.

“For the fallen.”

X X X X X

“Will this work?”

“If they fail, we have our options.”

“Yes, but will it work?” Weiss repeated her question.

“It depends greatly on Salem’s ability to read our intent,” answered Cinder.

“Yes, but—”

“You know, there is a reason we agreed that I be director of all affairs military.”

Weiss pouted at that.

Within Atlas HQ, the two queens and their Board of Directors watched a projection of Vacuo’s capital. The room had gotten fairly used to the debates between regents, to an extent they no longer paid it any mind when they bantered playfully, at least from Cinder’s side.

“Leave the chess game to me, my Queen,” the Black Queen smiled. “We have controlled what variables we can, stacked whatever odds in our favor as we could, prepared as many surprises as possible, and devised several failsafes should our initial plans fall through.” Cinder continued to read the projected layout of the land. “If there is a weakness to be found in our opponent, I will exploit it.”

“I suppose that is what you’re good at,” Weiss huffed. “Do you still need me here, when you have your generals?”

“Oh, don’t be like that. You offer an insight I could never hope to gain.”

“I vaguely remember you calling it naivety and optimism, right before choosing to ignore them.”

“And I would rather hear them, than not.”

“You’re insufferable,” Weiss crossed her arms.

“Yes, and I enjoy your company, as well. Now, I believe Team ENMY is about to begin the Operation.”

As all eyes turned to the floating hologram, Weiss sulked deep into her chair. Her worries continued to pile until they were mountains. She couldn’t help thinking there was something else they could have done—something they could still do.

…As it stands now, I can’t see Vacuo winning this, she thought.

Cinder knows this, too.

She’s looking for a mistake by Salem, but will the Witch really make one?

Weiss turned to her fellow regent, and saw Cinder with her usual confidence. But she knew deep down, the Black Queen held her doubts.

“Nothing is more troublesome than an opponent with a good sense for preparation,” she remembered Cinder telling her before. It was also one of the reasons, the Black Queen liked to keep her around—as she remarked right afterward.

“Nor, is there a more troubling opponent with good intuition.”

Weiss scoffed to herself.

Preparation vs. Intuition.

I wonder if that’s all it comes down to.

The cold math.

Weiss thought there should be another way. A method which varied from Temujin’s, Cinder’s, and the Witch’s. Some other element they could exploit, because as it stood now...

Even I can tell, the way this is playing out—if we go purely by numbers and strategy…

The White Queen shook her head vehemently.

I can’t think that way.

There has to be something we can do for Vacuo.

But any more dedication of our resources, and we practically forfeit crucial defenses for Atlas.

What more can we commit to this battle?

What can I commit?

…

I can’t help remembering, it’s because I fought that way, I lost to Cinder in the first place.

Weiss set her sights to the projection and the countdown on the corner of the map. It read ten minutes.

Is this all?

What we can sacrifice and what we can gain?

What moves are more effective?

How far we can predict our opponent’s moves?

…

Weiss stared at a certain holographic marking one of the four units with a [Y].

What would Yang say, I wonder?

X X X X X

Yang sneezed loudly, before wiping her nose. A moment later, their radios gave a soft crackle.

“Did I hear some nerd just short out her comms?”

“It’s called a sneeze, Em.”

“Someone was probably talking shit about you.”

“I wonder who.”

“Just sayin’… it was Ilia.”

“Wouldn’t put it past her.”

“I can hear you, you know?” Ilia’s voice resounded testily.

“Oh, don’t get your pony tail in more of a twist,” Emerald snickered. “Ready comms check. Gun Dogs Four, maintaining bored status.”

…

“Gun Dogs Three, ready,” Nai clicked in.

“Gun Dogs Two are ready and standing by,” Minerva answered.

“Gun Dogs One, geared and evil,” Yang checked in for her team.

They were positioned dead center of the city in the Hanging Gardens. The zone they were assigned was the most populated.

With her, were Neo and Mercury. Biding their time on the top balcony of the palace, her teammates double-checked their equipment.

“Think they’ll hold up?” Mercury tapped his steel toe against the floor.

“I doubt Masa could’ve done it any better, Merc,” Yang replied.

After having both their prosthetics broken, the two had to rebuild them from scratch. It was odd not having their reliable weapons tech in Masa Moon with them, but they knew their designs by heart. It was only a matter of trust at this point. And although Yang had entrusted him with far more, Mercury still found himself with the question.

“Hey.”

“What’s up?”

Mercury took a short breath, before speaking again.

“What would you think about me opening a weapons shop?”

“What, like here in Vacuo?”

“Doesn’t have to be here. Anywhere, really.”

“Sure. Why not?”

Mercury stared at her without another word. Only then, did Yang straighten with more attention.

“Merc?”

It wasn’t hard to read him now. He was trying to hide it, but he was obviously being sheepish.

“Oh,” Yang blinked a few times. “You mean…… quit Team ENMY and start a shop full-time.”

“When everything is over, I mean. It’s just a thought, but yeah.”

“You mean…When we beat Salem, end the War, and somehow stop Remnant from destroying itself, even when it’s already halfway there?”

“Yeah.”

“…” Yang cocked her brow. “You really believe that, don’t you? That we’re somehow going to win this.”

“What, you don’t?”

“I do, I just… never heard it out loud, or I thought I was the only one.”

Yang felt a sudden jab in her ribs by Neo beside her.

“Okay, okay. WE thought we were the only ones. But back to what you were saying…”

“Yeah, I- I don’t know. It’s just an idea that’s been bugging me lately. Reading my dad’s diary, killing Jupiter, meeting Temujin, working with Brig, and the other stuff. It just got me thinking.”

“That’s new-puh!” Yang felt Neo jab her again. “Sorry, Emerald’s influence. Go on, buddy.”

“All my life, I’ve been raised to be an assassin. When Cinder picked me up, it was pretty much the same. And then, there was this team. Don’t get me wrong, running with this crew… not as bad as I thought it was going to be. But working here, in Vacuo? I just kinda…”

Neo rounded her way, and hopped up to hug Mercury from behind. The expression was as transparent as the girl herself. Her gloved hand went to petting his head, like cooing a child. An encouraging smile beaming on her face.

“You heard the wife,” Yang nodded. “Me and Neo will support you in whatever you wanna do, any way we can.”

Mercury fought down the brimming emotion, and forced himself to turn to the scenery. A hand went to hold Neo’s, while a stuttered breath escaped him.

“Thanks, Neo, Yang. Means a lot.”

“Of course. Hey, I might even join you.”

“Seriously?” he asked in surprise.

“After some adventuring, though. I still want to live the life of a Huntress, but maybe after that.”

“You could sponsor me and have your name on the door. Mercury & Yang’s Workshop: Best Weapons Forged Under the Sun. It’s not a bad ring.”

Neo started pointing to herself eagerly. Shining expectation lit her grin.

“You could…be our billboard girl?” Mercury replied uncertainly.

“Our mascot,” Yang added.

Neo put Mercury into a headlock while puffing her cheeks.

Yang chuckled. “I don’t know about sponsoring, though. Me and Neo might be flat broke Huntresses. If you’re looking for sponsors, why not ask Em?”

It was then, she paused.

“Have you told Em, yet?”

“I…” Mercury sighed. “I don’t know what to tell her. I mean, we’re partners. She probably expects me to join her and Cinder in Atlas. Part of me thinks that’s what I should be doing. I mean, this weapons shop thing is just a dumb idea I came up with and—”

Yang and Neo jabbed him on each side.

““It’s not dumb!”” the two communicated. Then, Yang clapped his shoulder.

“I bet you anything, Em’ll support you even more than us. She’ll get it.”

“We are talking about the same person, right?”

“Aren’t we?”

“……Maybe, I’ll put the word with her and Cinder after this Vacuo deal is done.”

“Sounds good.”

The three took a moment to silently watched the morning sun rise.

“You know,” Yang started. “It’s bad luck to talk about stuff like this right before a life-threatening job.”

“Yeah, but we’re Team ENMY,” Mercury smirked back.

“Our luck’s always been shit.”

X X X X X

“Our luck’s always been shit,” Emerald heard the sentence, as well as the matter her partner discussed beforehand.

Idiot.

Why would you think I wouldn’t understand?

And why’d you go to Neo and Yang first?!

“Ugh! Whatever!” Emerald grunted aloud, and kicked the copilot’s console.

“Hey! Easy on the merchandise!” Ilia complained beside her. “If you heard something you didn’t like, maybe you shouldn’t be using your Semblance to peep on other people’s conversations.”

“Just a little warm up, ponytail. Get the mind juices flowing before I run the biggest brain acrobatic routine of my life.”

In an airship circling the capital, Ilia and Emerald continued to chat.

“Are you sure you’re up for this?” the chameleon Faunus asked.

“Not like your boss gave me much of a choice.”

“Either we will become nourishment for the fire, or the fire will nourish us,” Temujin lectured over the radio. “Life is nothing but an endless cycle of tests and trials.”

“And I thought I was the only mind-reader here,” Emerald replied.

“Well, I thought it was about time Ilia voiced her doubts about your abilities.”

“You could make that guess every two seconds to be fair. Flygirl here, has no faith whatsoever—and no problems showing it either.”

“Only because so much depends on your team,” Ilia growled. “Especially you. If you mess up your part even a little, our people are the ones that pay for it.”

“We’re only disarming a thousand ticking time bombs, surrounded by innocent people, across one of the largest cities in Remnant, in the span of half an hour. You should relax, you’ll live longer.”

“…”

Emerald sported a sarcastic grin.

“Alright, ladies and gentle-powerbottoms. It’s Hurt Locker time. I’m putting the sheep under.”

The girl stood from her chair, and made her way to the back of the cockpit. There, four Godmother devices were hooked up to a metallic helmet, which Emerald fit snuggly onto her head.

“Clear your mind,” Minerva advised over the comms. “Remember, there are no limits to what the mind can do.”

“I know, I know. There is no spoon,” Emerald breathed deeply through her nose. “Just brain-tapping a whole Kingdom. Not like you guys are asking me to perform a miracle or anything.”

It was dawn, and the teams could see the citizens of Vacuo already waking. Many of which, were flooding the streets, busy with their daily commutes.

Emerald could sense their minds, some still vulnerable to sleep and dream. It was the best time for her Enchantress’ Semblance.

She closed her eyes, and the Godmothers hummed with life. Her fingertips pressed the sides of her helmet in concentration. The devices amplified her abilities, as the focus of her thoughts extended in every direction.

Once Emerald finished linking each mind to her mental network, a single word echoed the thoughts of Vacuo’s people.

(((♪Dream♪)))

X X X X X

As soon as Emerald voiced the mental chant, various bodies across the city collapsed where they stood. Everyone that fell under the girl’s Semblance was trapped in a dream of her crafting.

Meanwhile, the only ones still awake and unaffected by Emerald’s Semblance could only be the teams—and the Grimm.

On the outer crust of the city, the team assigned Gun Dogs Three, dashed through their designated area. The walls faced the most thorough inspections for Cuckoos, but there were still a few that made it through screening. And it was on Nai, Mouse, and Knives to eliminate them all.

The silver irises of the siblings glistened with a sharp light. They tracked their targets with their exceptional vision, and marked them for execution.

“Nai, the man at 2 o’clock,” Knives called.

Even without hearing the end of her sentence, the large warrior bolted in the direction of her sight. There, a lone man carried on with his inspection of a damaged truck, oblivious to the events unfolding outside his peripheries.

Nai braced his fist in his other hand, and drove his elbow through the man’s skull. A large splatter of blood erupted from the other side. There was a glimmer of doubt, before the person’s shape distorted into its original, grotesque bird form.

Before Knives called out the next target, Mouse spotted another Cuckoo, and drove his straight-edged dagger into its solar plexus.

The three continued to zip through the routes planned beforehand. Some of the Cuckoos were discovered and mapped prior to the operation. Some were not.

Regardless, they carried out their grim task with cold execution. Any person found moving was eliminated without second thought. If they hesitated, the Cuckoo might become aware and potentially kill anyone in their surroundings. Fortunately for the trio, most of their prey would be isolated.

The same could not be said for the team assigned Gun Dogs Two.

…

Standing on the highest branches of Shade Academy’s great tree, Minerva and Temujin gazed down at the tiny specks below.

Unlike the outer perimeter, the middle-zone was significantly more populated. Groups of Vacuo’s citizens and Shade Academy’s students were bunched together. The Cuckoos would no doubt notice what was happening.

Minerva had to act fast. Her spellcasting had to be swift, but precise. The point of her wand jabbed at the various focuses for her Magic, before violently flicking them upward. Bodies levitated into the air, clear of any sleeping innocents.

As some of the Grimm realized what was going on, they began to morph back into their monstrous forms. But by the time they could utter a single sound of resistance, Temujin silenced them.

The old wolf Faunus took a number of arrows shafts in hand, and loosed them all at once. A stream of projectiles coated in black Aura sniped the flushed prey like a high accuracy shotgun.

Without a moment’s pause to see the end of her partner’s work, Minerva was already levitating the next batch—and then the next.

“I need more targets!” Temujin hollered, after a time.

“Silence, you cackling fur rug. My role requires more concentration.”

“I can only hope so, and it isn’t about having second thoughts on killing your students.”

“They are not my students,” Minerva clenched her teeth, as she lifted another group of Cuckoos into the air.

“How certain. It’s very possible Emerald missed Enchanting a few.”

“There will not be any innocents among them.”

“It is possible.”

“…”

Temujin didn’t meet Minerva’s brief glare.

“Truth be told, if she missed a few, they would still be considered acceptable losses.”

The Headmaster’s anger boiled for a second, but was channeled into the violent purpose of her wand.

“Emerald will not err. I taught her myself…!” Minerva grunted.

“…I see.”

“And her Magic surpasses my own.”

“Hmph. Quite the pedestal you’ve placed for the girl.”

“As if you and I haven’t been training her team to combat the Witch herself.”

In the small break between shooting down her last targets and waiting for the next, Temujin spared a thought in the Hanging Garden’s direction. She wondered how the main team was performing—the three who were charged with the most occupied section of the city.

As far as they were, Minerva and Temujin could hear distant explosions. As well as the disgusting caws of dying Cuckoos.

…

“Clearing three!” Yang called out.

Racing down Vacuo’s main thoroughfare, Yang made a hard angle turn towards a trio of confused bystanders. When they saw the blazing blonde rocketing toward them, they began to drop their forms. But any resistance they could put up paled in the strength of the girl hurling them into the air.

At the same time, Neo made out a couple of moving bodies in houses. The team would waste crucial time trying to navigate indoors, so she dropped them down a mirror portal like a trapdoor. Her targets reappeared with the other Grimm flushed into the sky.

“I got ‘em!” Mercury shouted, before leaping off one of the nearby roofs.

He concentrated pockets of dense air at his heels. And then, with a resounding kick, the aerial bullets pierced the flightless birds. Their overgrown skulls cracked open with a sickening crunch, as they faded to nothing but ash.

Still treading the air, Mercury used his vantage point to spot the next number of confused wanderers.

“Five in my sights!” Mercury called.

“Pull!” Yang answered.

The young man dove down, and skidded across the rough road on his landing. His body postured low under the unsuspecting group. And then, with a chain of upper-cutting kicks, launched the targets into the air, positioning them much like Yang and Neo had done before.

The Spring Maiden stopped in her tracks to unleash a flurry of blows. Artillery shells from her Ember Celica detonated the prey at the peak of their lift. And then, it was on to the next Cuckoos.

It was a crude, but effective method Temujin developed. Each of the Gun Dog squadrons was assigned a spotter, a flusher, and an exterminator—or some mixed combination of the three. Emerald’s massive Enchantment negated any panic unwary innocents would have caused, while making it easier to identify the Cuckoos. Their next main focus was to separate the Grimm from its immediate surroundings, which usually involved casting them into the air. There, they would be safely disposed of.

Apart from the other two teams, Yang, Neo, and Mercury traded between roles in order to conserve as much Aura and stamina as possible. The fluidness of the interchange set a low margin for error, but the trio performed it with all the flawless execution of a perfect killing machine.

As Mercury and Yang hurled another group of Cuckoos into the sky, the pests managed to complete their transformations into their original forms. Their gross necks elongated their overly sized heads as their beaks parted. A cacophony of cries screeched above Vacuo.

Despite the altitude, the team could feel the life force sucked from the area, making the air thinner.

Neo took aim, her thin blade exposed from its sheathe. Her irises flickered a sharp light, as her sword worked a blinding fashion. Even though she was still groundside, her attack pierced the Cuckoos from afar.

Neo’s training with Raven did much to improve her sword work, as well as awaken the abilities of her Silver Eyes. Just like her “mentor” had shown during their deathmatches, the petite girl was now able to distort time and space to an extent that her blade was able to strike from a distance and seemingly multiple times at once.

Still…

This isn’t good.

Yang clenched her teeth, as she continued to lead her squadron’s charge through the area.

We’re starting to cut it close.

The last batch got their attacks off. More of them are starting to catch on.

We need to do move faster.

Seeming to read her mind, Neo and Mercury accelerated alongside her. Their wash, rinse, and repeat pattern grew more rapid in its pace. They carved a swathe of floating Cuckoos in their wake, paving from one section of the city to another.

It’s only a matter of time.

I got a bad feeling.

X X X X X

“I have a bad feeling. Hm.”

Salem stood in the middle of the Black Oasis, while facing the direction of Vacuo. Her brow squinted in concentration, sensing the events transpiring in the distance.

“They are purging the Cuckoos,” Bean appeared at her side, having detected the same thing.

“So, they are. It is time we made our move, as well. Notify our forces. The moment for Vacuo to be put out of its pitiful misery has arrived.”

“I understand.”

The boy turned, and headed into the cave to rouse their soldiers. At the same time, he linked his thoughts to the various leaders of the Grimm Clans. Their dark army would be ready to march in a matter of minutes.

Salem allowed herself a small smile of approval, as she gave a passing gaze to the humongous black cocoon bridging two cliffsides.

“Well, then. A valiant effort on your part.”

But did you really think it would be so easy?

X X X X X

Neo was the first to notice the abrupt change.

She immediately stopped midstride and closed her eyes, as if entering meditation. Yang and Mercury slid to a halt as well when they noticed. Just when they were about to ask what was wrong, the answer to their question came over the radio.

“Salem is aware we are eliminating the Cuckoos. She is activating them. All of them,” Mouse’s voice crackled.

“We still have a quarter of the city left we didn’t cover…!” Yang bit her lip. She looked to Mercury, and then, to Neo. The fight wasn’t out of them yet, and neither was it for her. “I was starting to think this was going a little too smoothly for an ENMY gig,” she commented with a light heart.

“See? Our luck’s total shit,” Mercury remarked. “I’ll get our ducks in a row?”

“And I’ll knock ‘em down. Do or die time.”

“The words our team lives by.”

“Can you get them all?”

“…Not all of them. Neo’s probably working her Silver Eye voodoo to find them, but it’s not like I can—”

“Neo maps them, I’ll translate the locations, Merc pulls, and Yang’ll mop them up,” Emerald’s sudden orders came over the comms.

“Em?! Aren’t you supposed to be maintaining the Enchantment?!” Yang exclaimed.

“I can multitask! Neo, feed me the positions of the remaining Cuckoos, double time!”

The petite girl’s scrunching face blinked open, and a bright light poured from her vision.

Her abilities were not perfect and far from infinite. But her sight encompassed an All-Seeing Truth. Whatever the moment, whatever the distance, whatever the depth, if Neo concentrated hard enough, she could see it. If only for a moment.

But a moment was all she needed.

“A trained swordsman must take in the world in a flash,” Raven’s mantra whispered the back of her mind.

“Read the terrain and your opponent, like that!” she snapped her fingers.

“The scenery changes, the landscape shifts, all in the blink of an eye.

So, you need to capture that.

It’s the world in a single moment.”

Raven’s katana drew just short of Neo’s throat.

“And you need to wield your blade in the same instant.

Knowing what I know about you, it should be something you can excel at.”

Neo viewed the locations of the remaining Cuckoos in vivid reality. Their outlines, their exact coordinates, all of it was captured in her memory, despite the enhanced sight being granted for a nanosecond. She tapped her communicator quickly after.

It was Emerald’s turn. She kept track of her team’s whereabouts and instantly accessed Neo’s memories. And like a well-prepared document wrapped in a bow, Emerald took what was mentally presented to her, and packaged it Mercury’s way. In the transference, she added her own brand of assistance to the data.

Mercury’s mind was suddenly filled with thoughts that were not his own. The familiar sensation of his brain being hijacked was something he was fairly used to, but never liked. Still, he allowed Emerald to take over his senses.

It wasn’t just plain sight that came to him, it was something he could only describe as a sixth sense being opened. A type of clairvoyance that was impossible to perceive by normal standards.

The locations of the remaining Cuckoos were not simply shown, but “illuminated”. He recognized the targets’ exact positions in reference to himself. A complete awareness of spatial cognizance layered into his conscience.

“Damn. They gave me auto-aim and no fog of war?” Mercury scoffed with an impressed tone. “Leave it to Neo and Em to prep the best cheats.”

He breathed deep and measured his timing. The Cuckoos were already about to siphon the life from their surroundings, but it would do no good to rush. His confidence had to be unwavering.

“Dominance is key,” Temujin’s words echoed his memory.

“Your Semblance and mine have a similar peculiarity.

You possess an aggressive heart.

You pent up all those things your environment gives you, and you trap it in that little chest of yours.

Your emotions, your suffering, your sins.

And then, when you’ve had enough, you lash out. Unleash what is inside onto the rest of the world.

But you lack direction.

Do not blindly release the storm brewing in your soul.

Temper it!

It is an instrument that can be used to control your environment.

And when you master such a thing, the sky will no longer be just an outlet for your rage, or merely your playground.

It will be your domain.”

“Everything above the ground belongs to the sky,” Mercury said quietly. “And I am the sky.”

The wings on his heels flourished, like a great bird of prey taking flight. Wind and air within a several mile radius answered his call. His influence extended to the very atmospheric pressure and weather itself. Even sound silenced at his increasing concentration.

It was a small motion, barely noticeable. But in the stillness of the thick stagnant space, the stomp of his left foot amplified, like the world shaking. As if a deity had laid down a new law on the mortal realm.

Every Cuckoo was expelled into the sky without exception. They were mere moments from killing those around them, but in the span of a breath, Mercury flushed them out like the poison they were.

“You really are something, Merc,” Yang couldn’t help, but say in amazement. “You, Em, and Neo are seriously something. It’d be embarrassing if I fell behind now.”

The Spring Maiden’s hair flared with blazing excitement, as she cracked her gauntlets together. Her irises painted with a bright-orange glow. She could see the burning cracks marking the Grimm’s weaknesses. The “life” fluctuating in their bodies was already emitting a feeble light.

“I Burn.”

X X X X X

“Hm. It appears the team of miscreants is growing into a greater thorn than initially anticipated. Due to yours and Temujin’s teachings, no doubt,” Salem said, while staring off a cliff, in the direction of Vacuo.

“It’s not direct action against you,” Raven replied. “No breach in contract.”

“I know. Your offenses aren’t punishable…yet.”

Raven chuckled. “Is the great Witch starting to slip?”

“You can hope, but you’d only disappoint yourself.”

“…”

“The efforts of your daughter’s team and your old allies is of little matter. Vacuo will not see another sunrise after today.”

Raven couldn’t muster a comeback. There was no point. That, and the evidence laid before her silenced any realistic rebuttal.

The endless stampede of countless limbs trampled the desert below their perch. Grimm of all manner of make and terror made its march on the capital. A host of monsters Remnant would possibly never witness again. An army that painted the golden sands of Vacuo in shadow.

“For what it is worth, Raven, I am sorry it had to come to this.”

“……No, you’re not.”

“You were once my most loyal knight. And now, I destroy your home because of your previous betrayal. I truly do lament this.”

Raven wanted with everything to draw her blade, and cut down the woman in front of her. It would be a kill of weightless guilt. The easiest death she could ever gift.

“I can only wonder the price your next betrayal will warrant,” Salem resumed.

“You’ll have to end Vacuo first. It’s not decided yet.”

“Oh, is it not foregone conclusion?”

“The strongest will survive Vacuo.”

“My dear, tsk tsk tsk,” the Witch clicked her tongue, while shaking her head disappointedly. “How long do you plan to delude yourself? I doubt even Temujin still considers that creed to hold true any longer.”

“Despite all your schemes, you still don’t know how this story ends,” Raven spoke her last words of defiance.

“Oh, but I do, poor Raven.”

The Witch turned to the gigantic cocoon with a pulsing red core behind them. Large cracks in the shell began to heave like melted ice caps. The dark webbing gave way to the monstrous creature hatching inside.

The first part to break out into the light of day, were a pair of gruesome wings. So large and jagged, but possessing of some mysterious elegance. One beat of its dark sails kicked up a gale of tornadoes.

Raven could hardly believe what she was witnessing. The sight of the nightmarish Grimm was enough to shake the most veteran of Hunters.

In the meantime, Salem only gleaned a satisfied smile to herself.

“Have I rid you of your naïve delusions?”

X X X X X

As the last Cuckoo was eliminated, Mouse’s panicked voice crackled over the radio.

“Temujin! We have a problem!”

“Calm yourself, Mouse. What is it? Has a deviation occurred?” the elder asked.

“No. Purging the Cuckoos has incited Salem to attack as planned. But it is only now, that the means have been revealed.”

“So, her army marches?”

“Yes, but before that, there is a greater problem!”

“What is it?”

As Temujin wondered what could rattle Mouse so, she found her question answered by the enormous black shade flapping its wings towards them. She could see the Grimm over the height of the city’s walls. Although it was still far, she made a rough estimate of its size—and its sheer mass made her doubt her senses.

“What in the world?”

“Anyone else see that fucking thing?!” Emerald shouted over the comms. “I’ve never seen a Grimm that huge!”

“That is because there’s never been one…”

“I read up on all the Nightmare Class Grimm in Vacuo. Only one of them matches that description, and it’s supposed to be in hibernation, isn’t it?!”

“It appears the Witch modified its sleep cycle.”

“And apparently its diet! That thing looks roided out compared to the pictures!”

“Finish your Enchantments, Emerald. Remember to relay my orders. Our people must be ready to fight as soon as possible!” Temujin ordered.

“Shit! SHIT!”

Despite the curses, Emerald reached into the Vacuo citizens’ dream states, and carried out Temujin’s orders.

As she and Minerva readied to return to the Hanging Gardens, the elder woman could only look on to the horizon with a bleak expression. Salem’s Grimm army was circling to hit the city on all fronts. And making its way, in the most direct route possible, a monster-like butterfly continued to beat its wings.

“Behemoth…”

#RWBY #yang xiao long #neopolitan #emerald sustrai #mercury black #rwby fanfiction #rwby au #ENMY

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RWBY Future Predictions

Last Saturday, RWBY’s sixth season wrapped up with the main cast approaching the flying kingdom of Atlas. Throughout the season, the audience and main cast learned much more about the past of the world of Remnant, like Ozpins and Salem's backstory, while older plot threads continued to develop, like Jaune continuing to mourne Pyrrha.

While fans wait for season seven to begin, the various clues and loose threads of the story can help to give some insight as to where the show may be heading in the future.

For the sake of compartmentalization, I have split the various story ideas in to the near, middle and far future. These correlate to the next season or two of the show, sometime in the next five seasons or so and likely near the end of the series, respectively.

Near Future: Pyrrha comes back

After Cinder killed her in the season three finale, Pyrrha has strangely not entirely left the show. She keeps coming back in scenes mostly focused around Jaune but also occasionally from other characters referencing either the Fall of Beacon or what they’ve lost. In season six, a fallen leaf guides Jaune to a statue of Pyrrha where he speaks to a woman with red hair and green eyes, like Pyrrha.Add in that it is snowing and that Pyrrha was the Fall Maiden, and the show may well be indicating that she is not fully gone yet.

With how much attention she’s gotten, it’s entirely possible that she’ll come back in some respect. Most likely, this would not be a true resurrection though. Rather, she would probably take one of two forms. Either she is like Ozpin, reincarnating as a guiding voice inside someone else’s head, or like a Force ghost, appearing for a short time to give guidance or closure but not influence any events.

Near Future: Emerald joins Cinder / a third faction fully forms

We have already seen some of this take start to take shape, but Cinder and Neo may form an entire faction unto themselves, and since season six made it clear just how devoted to Cinder Emerald is, the moment they know where each other are Emerald will almost certainly leave Salem and the rest to rejoin Cinder.

An interesting development to this dynamic would be if the new faction stop being fully villainous and become closer to anti-heros. When Grimm were attacking Beacon, Emerald seemed horrified while she and Mercury looked over the city. Cinder wants to make Ruby suffer, but if Salem is about to kill all of humanity, she may hold off and join the heroes long enough to ensure that she gets to kill Ruby herself.

Middle Future: Beacon restored / the return of the original cast

In the World of Remnant series, Ozpin made it clear that the communications towers connect the kingdoms, and that if even one goes down, the others cannot connect. Since the Fall of Beacon, we have never heard about any efforts to restore the tower or kingdom, and also haven’t heard anything from many characters present in the first three seasons.

This potentially sets up a great season finale in the future, where team RWBY and the rest are struggling against an onslaught of Grimm and don’t expect any help, but then their scrolls start lighting up with radio chatter from other kingdoms. While the commotion died down, new people show up to help, and we get the return of the more memorable characters from earlier seasons, like Velvet and Professor Goodwitch. This would also allow for more hated characters like team CRDL to grow off screen and come back as much more developed characters.

Middle Future: The general populace learns about silver eyes

Due to the extreme circumstances she has been through, Ruby has not done much to hide her eyes’ power from the world. At the Fall of Beacon, it seemed like no one but Cinder was present to see Ruby when she turned the Wyvern to stone. When she did the same to the Leviathan at Argus though, there was clearly a large crowd watching everything.

Since the power is presented as something that many people know about but think is nothing more than a fairy tale, this provides a way for many more people to come to accept that magic is real and that the fairy tales they grew up on might have more truth than they thought, or for other people with silver eyes to come forward in future seasons.

Middle Future: More fairy tales come true

All of the fairy tales of Ramnant are supposed to have some basis in truth, even though the stories themselves are generally regarded as fiction. However, throughout RWBY, we’ve learned about the Tale of Two Brothers, the Silver-Eyed Warriors, and the Four Maidens in explicit detail. The first are the gods of light and dark that cursed Salem and Ozpin, the Maidens were originally their children and the warriors clearly existed since Ruby and Maria have their power.

However, opens the door for other fairy tales being more grounded in reality than expected. The audience does not know of many other fairy tales, only the Shallow Sea and the Girl in the Tower, but with all of the travelling the main cast has done in the past three seasons, it is entirely possible that they might stumble across either the original truth that created the myths, or whatever happened as a result.

Far Future: Judgement Day

During season six, we learned from Jinn’s flashback that Ozpin keeps reincarnating because he was chosen by the light god to be the one person who would remember when they were around, and that they were also leaving four relics behind. In the same flashback, we learn that when all four relics are brought together, the pair of gods will judge whether humanity has learned to cooperate and that if not, the gods will end humanity entirely and try again.

Our heroes already have one relic, so will they ever gather the other three? Will the show actually provide a definite answer to something like the worth of humanity, or will it remain a driving force that no one ever actually reaches?

Realistically, it probably won’t. Even if the show picks up its pace and either splits the main cast of just fast forwards their travel to the other kingdoms, it will still probably take at least three or four seasons just to get the other relics, then another season building up to the actual judgement, and of course calling gods to judge whether humanity should be eliminated entirely or not is generally a plot point reserved for the finale of a series.

If the judgement happens and the show isn’t over yet, it enters an entirely new phase. With the gods returned, humanity has access to magic again and the Grimm are likely gone due to the god of light’s influence. However, humanity has been without the gods for so long that they may unite against them, or some could choose to go to the dark god, like Salem did previously.

Far Future: They finally graduate

It’s worth remembering that team RWBY and their peers went through a semester or so of school before the Vytal Festival and the rest of season three. Assuming that the Academies work like college/university, they have another three years of schooling before they are professional huntsmen and huntresses.

If this is ever touched on in later seasons, it will likely be either glanced over as something that the main cast doesn’t need since they have so much experience actually fighting Grimm, or an afterthought in the final episode showing them finally getting diplomas during the credits. A humorous way to wrap up this plot point would be if they cast revisits Beacon after so much fighting and training and take three years of tests and training over the course of a week to show that they are officially qualified.

Those were my thoughts on some of the plot threads in RWBY and where the show might be heading in the next season and beyond. Personally, I actually really want the graduation montage and the return of the season one through three cast, but what do you think about my ideas? Do you have any other thoughts or theories about where the show’s headed? Let me know in the comments below!

----

Kevin Matyi is a freelance features writer for Crunchyroll. He's been watching anime for as long as he can remember, and his favorite shows tend to be shonen and other action series.

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

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